T-Lab X3 – All-Terrain Titanium That Does It All

In a world of high-end carbon frames, T-Lab is doing something different. Titanium is their game, and they are pretty damn good at it. And when it comes to gravel, their X3 is a solid contender, whether you want to go fast, long, or both. I had the chance to build one up with the help of Ritchey, and while I didn’t have a chance to pedal in anger on a cyclocross course, it spent plenty of time on gravel and road. Read on to hear what I thought.

T-Lab has been at it for over 3 years now but has a much deeper history. The relatively new brand can trace its roots back to Guru, a brand that offered custom frames in steel, aluminum, carbon, and titanium.  After the company shuttered, many of the experienced members of the team came together to create T-Lab. Instead of diluting their focus with creating frames from all materials, the brand is focusing on making the best, and most innovative titanium frames available.

I met T-Lab back at the Philly Bike Expo a year ago and started the process of getting a frame in for review. When talking about possible frames to review, I told co-founder Roberto Rossi that I was gravitating towards the X3. Yes, I could have gone with the R3 road bike, or the R3 Omni, which bridges a bit of a gap between all-out race bike, and gravel, but the X3 was really where my heart is. As the all-terrain bike, it can handle road, gravel, and cross, so it fits nicely with the similar theme of our #ProjectOneBike Van Dessel Full Tilt Boogie. They also have their Phenom mountain bike they were finishing development on and had on display at the show, but I already had my mind made up on the X3.

T-Lab uses Grade 9 (3Al-2.5v) titanium for their frames. It’s light and strong, while also bringing that smooth ride titanium is known for. Something immediately noticeable is the shaping of the tubes. The top tube is the most aggressively shaped, taking a flattened oval profile from end to end. The seat tube and downtubes also shift from round to more flat shapes as they reach the large BB386 BB shell. While the shaping gives the bike a unique look for being a metal frame, it also helps to create a laterally stiffer frame without extra weight. The frame has clearance for 650bx51 and 700×44.

For my test frame, I actually went with a size small in what was their aggressive gravel geometry at the time. Since then, they have simplified their geometry options, but it would be between the Gravel/Adventure and Cyclocross geometries. Being just a hair under 6′, getting a size small might seem a little undersized. Personally, I prefer a smaller frame, and usually ride about a 56 cm frame for cyclocross and gravel, so I would have gone with a medium in their current geometries.

For extras, I added internal routing for both shifting and brake lines. The fork is the XD fork, which comes from Enve, and is ready with fender mounts and fork mounts to carry additional cargo.

The rear axle/brake mount is definitely unique on the X3. T-Lab dubs it their T-One Dropout. These dropouts bolt onto the frame and hold the brake mount on the non-drive side, and the rear derailleur hanger on the other. They help keep shifting and braking mounts stiff, while also allowing for changes in future configurations. When I first saw the design, I was a little skeptical that the rear brake mount was going to be stiff enough, but I’ll talk about that in a minute.

While it isn’t always the easiest to separate the frame from the rest of the build, we are going to try our best. Ritchey kindly set us up with a cockpit (42 cm Butano bars, C220 stem in 110cm, WCS Link Seatpost in 350×27.2, WCS Streem Vector Evo in 143mm, and WCS Race Gel Bar Tape), wheels (WCS Apex 38 TLR Disc), and pedals (WCS XC), and I added in a Sram Force CX1 drivetrain with an AbsoluteBLACK oval ring and various Schwalbe G-One tires I had laying around. I’m going to save the review of the build for another article so I can give Ritchey their own time in the spotlight, but it definitely complemented the X3 nicely as a functional and well-performing build.

I was excited to get the X3, as I have never ridden a titanium frame before. I’ve had steel, aluminum, steel/aluminum, aluminum/carbon, and carbon frames, but not titanium. I remember lusting over Litespeed’s in the Colorado Cyclist catalog back when I was a kid and hearing older riders talk about how buttery smooth they were, yet still lively. When the frame arrived, I immediately unpacked the frame and fork, weighed it, and got to building. I was pretty happy with the finished product, weighing in at 19.6 lbs, with cages, pedals, and a computer mount. It’s not the lightest bike out there, but that’s not the point of the frame or the build. It’s about functionality and performance.

On the road, the bike was smooth and responsive. When I stood up to pedal, it went without hesitation or feeling of loss of power. The XD fork kept the wheel pointed where I wanted to go with no discernable flex. I didn’t have the chance to load it up with mounts and stuff sacks, but I’m sure it would handle something like Topeak’s Versacage with a few stuff sacks very well.

Now for that brake mount. As hard as I would push the X3, there were never any issues with flex in the rear brake mount. I applaud T-Lab on the creativity of the back end of the bike to keep help keep it relevant into the future as standards will inevitably change. My only issue is that it is a little harder to adjust the brakes away from home if you need to because it uses a bolt that you’ll need a wrench for. It’s not bad at home, but not many multitools will have what you need.

I put the T-Lab through many different types of rides. I swapped wheels a few times for some 45mm deep carbon road wheels set up with 700×28 tubeless tires, and the bike handled flawlessly on the road. Running higher pressures shows how much work the bike is doing on the comfort side versus how much the tires were doing. Riding over some rough sections of cracked road and hard-pack cinder rail trails, the titanium of the X3 helped to remove some of the buzz while still staying fun and responsive. Adding the wider gravel tires on a wider rim helped smooth the ride out even more. Comparing the same setups to the Van Dessel Full Tilt Boogie, that features a similar geometry, but in a carbon frame, and the ride differences were subtle. Ti fans would probably pick up on it, but the T-Lab has a slightly different ride to it. It’s hard to describe.

On the road, you’d forget it was a gravel bike if it wasn’t for the wide clearances. It handles speed and corners well, without being twitchy. Throw on some slicks and it will easily hang with your weekly group rides. As you start to take it onto gravel or offroad, it really shines. It’s stable but still craves speed. Rolling 38mm Schwalbe G-One Speed tires, the bike ripped around on hard-pack gravel and trails with confidence. Regardless of where it went though, the comfort shines, especially on longer rides that you might feel a little more beat up on with a carbon frame.

For the longer rides, I had a chance to mount up bags from Apidura, Speedsleev, and Topeak. While all of my top tube bags we strap based, some will miss mounts for a bento box on the top tube. I’d say it is something they can probably do for an extra charge if you are interested. Other than that, I was able to fit a top tube, frame, and saddle packs without issue. If loading up and going is more your speed, the rack and fender mounts will be appreciated. There are times I wish I would have opted for the third cage mount on the downtube, but the bike was able to handle everything I needed as is.

Pricing for my test frame started out at $4300. With adding in the internal cable routing ($200) and a custom X-Era paint job in white ($500), the X3 frame, fork, and hardware came out to $5000. It’s a little steep for some, but keep in mind that even though it might not be completely custom, it is a built to order titanium frame. Raw titanium frames are also available and will save you $500. I honestly love the look of raw titanium frames anyway, so something to consider if you are looking to bring costs down a little. For the money though, you are definitely getting a premium frame that is built for you.

So overall, my first experience on titanium has been pretty stellar with the T-Lab X3. I now get why people love the material so much. It is lighter than steel and aluminum, free of corrosion, and is still stiff, without being jarring. T-Lab has done a great job of creating a performance frame that can handle so many different areas of riding and keeping it very sporty and lively with its unique tube shapes. Road with some slicks, gravel with wider tires, or mount of bags and racks and take it on your next bike packing adventure, the X3 can really handle it all well and without compromise. I hate to call it a utility bike because I don’t feel that it does it justice to its performance and comfort, but it is a Swiss Army knife when you add in the rack and fender mounts that you just don’t find on other bikes that performance this level.

I’ll be sad to send it back, as it has been nice to ride something different, but ’tis the life of a product reviewer.

https://www.t-lab-bikes.com